Companions Prepared for Ramadan

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to prepare his companions to prepare their selves to this month and celebrate it by acts of worship and obedience. It is related that Anas ibn Malik said: Ramadan started. The Prophet (PBUH) replied: (This month started, it contains a night better than one thousand months, who is derived from it, is derived from the whole goodness, and none is derived from its goodness except the miserable[1].)

In this way, the souls of the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) long for this generous month, of the great reward.

Afterwards, the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) warns his companions from something may cause the happiness of Ramadan to vanish. In this regard, the Prophet (PBUH) said: (Let none of you fast one or two days before Ramadan, unless it comes coincidentally with a regular fasting for him[2].)

Though fasting is obedience, but doing it directly before Ramadan would eliminate the joy the Muslim finds at the first day in Ramadan, because it makes days similar, so the prophet forbade doing that[3].

By that means, every male and female companion is prepared for fasting Ramadan, and longing for hunger and thirst for the sake of Allah, Almighty. Then, the prophet (PBUH) drew their attention to the night of Ramadan as it also a field for practicing obedience to Allah, the Prophet (PBUH) said: (Whoever establishes the prayers on the night of Ramadan out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards “not to show off”, then all his past sins will be forgiven[4].)

Accordingly, every single companion exerts his best and get ready for standing in prayers on the night of Ramadan, prompted by the yearning for standing in front of Allah no matter what the hardship is.

In this way, the Prophet used to receive Ramadan.

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[1] Ibn-Majah, book “Fasting”, chapter “What has been related on the virtue of the month of Ramadan”, 1644, Al-Albani ranked it Authentic on his comments on “Sunan Ibn-Majah” Al-Busiri said: `Abdul-`Azem Al-Mundhiri ranked this Hadith authentic. See “Misbah Az-Zujajah fi Zawaed ibn Majah”, 2/62.

[2] Al-Bukhari: book “Fasting”, chapter “ Not fasting one or two days before the start of Ramadan”, 1815. Muslim, , book “Fasting”, chapter “ Not fasting one or two days before the start of Ramadan”, 1082.

[3] In addition to other reasons mentioned by the commentators on the Hadith.

[4] Al-Bukhari, book “ Tarawih Prayers”, chapter “The virtue of the one who stands in prayer in Ramadan”, 1905, on the authority of Abu-Hurairah “May Allah be pleased with him”. Muslim, book “The prayer of the travelers and shortening it”, chapter “Recommending the night prayer in Ramadan, namely Tarawih prayers”, 759.